The Central Valley is vital to feeding our nation and having safe, reliable roads is essential to support the transportation of goods. That’s why I introduced the Farm to Market Road Improvement Act this week. This legislation would make additional federal resources available to fix the roads throughout the United States that play a critical role in the food supply chain. Under the bill’s criteria, roads in Tulare, Kings and Kern counties would be eligible to receive much needed funding to maintain our roads and ensure the safe transport of goods. Read more about it here.

This week our nation marked 23 years since the 9/11 attacks. While I was in Washington for votes, members of Team Valadao attended events in Tulare and Bakersfield to honor those who lost their lives. We will never forget them and the heroic first responders on this tragic day in American history.

Last week the House Committee on Natural Resources held a field hearing in Santa Nella to discuss the water challenges we face in the Central Valley. Water insecurity in California will have nationwide consequences unless we take action against the harmful policies in place and currently under consideration. Ensuring our communities have reliable access to water will always be my top priority.

I've become increasingly concerned with the rising trend of Chinese foreign ownership of agricultural land in the United States. A foreign adversary like China should not be allowed to hold such substantial portions of our land and this is no doubt part of a broader strategy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to have influence over our domestic food supply. That's why I voted this week to support the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 (H.R. 9456). This bill would require a national security review for significant agricultural land transactions. There is still more work to be done on this issue, and I’ll continue working to stop our adversaries like the CCP from jeopardizing the security of our food supply.

This week I signed a discharge petition to force a vote on H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act. Currently, public service employees and surviving spouses receive reduced Social Security benefits because of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). I’ve heard from countless teachers, police officers, firefighters and other public servants in the Central Valley about their frustration with this issue.  H.R. 82 would eliminate both the WEP and GPO to ensure that retired public servants receive the full benefits they’ve rightfully earned.

I recently toured the National Weather Service’s forecast office in Hanford with meteorologist Jerald Meadows. This facility provides weather forecasts and warning services to over 3 million people across 7 counties in the Valley. It was great hearing about the latest technologies they employ to keep our communities up to date and safe.

Trying to get an answer from a federal agency can often be a time-consuming and frustrating process. If you ever need help navigating a federal agency, you can visit my website here or call my Hanford office at (559) 460-6070. My team is ready to assist you!

Tratar de obtener una respuesta de una agencia federal a menudo puede ser un proceso frustrante y que requiere mucho tiempo. Si alguna vez necesita ayuda con una agencia federal, puede visitar mi sitio de web aquí o llamar a mi oficina de Hanford al (559) 460-6070. ¡Mi equipo está listo para ayudarte!

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